She'll be your anchor
by CJJenkins
Summary: It could be that her happy face just keeps people from getting too deep. Maybe she thinks she's helping by not letting anyone in. Regardless of her reasoning, Jade Harley felt completely alone. Maybe this move could put her aching heart to rest. (I've already posted this and it crashed. Rated T because swearing and all that good nonsense. AU, no real connection with Sburb. R&R!)
1. The News

**Oh gosh.. I'm reposting this because all these reasons. I'm sorry it went down in the first place! Agh. Stuff is weird. SO uh. I donno when I'll be posting? let's hope soon, right? Haha. If you gotta contact me, my tumblr is on my profile. Help me out here and tell me if I messed anything up, pretty please? That'd be cool. I'm not like so awesome that I don't mess up. I wish I was though! Er. Yeah. So, I don't own Homestuck annnnddd r&r, cuties. ;) Thanks for reading! Have an awesome day!**

* * *

Sometimes, Jade Harley really loved life.. But sometimes she just hated every minute of it. Sometimes she would come to think that not much was going for her in life.. The only lifeline consisted of plants, shooting and science. And when Jade thought of this, she would cry. It just wouldn't stop, instead of random burst of narcolepsy, she cried. She was broken.

She had no idea where she would end up; she just kept pushing, trying not to give up on life.. Jade has always thought something or someone would come to save her. Nothing ever did. She was left all alone.. And she absolutely hated that feeling.

Jade really needed something to save her. Soon.

* * *

Jade's grandfather sat on the couch across from her, explaining that she needed to go visit her Uncle for a 'little while' because he had to leave the island to go about some 'business' and he didn't want her to be all alone there. Jade just sighed and nodded, not daring to argue because he had already made up his mind and made that obvious.

He told her that she should probably pack because she was to leave tomorrow,  
"The work I need to attend to is extremely urgent, sweetheart. I am terribly sorry to spring this on you so suddenly." Her grandfather said with a tinge of guilt in his voice.

"It's okay, make sure to write, okay?" Jade smiled, trying not to cry. She knew he'd probably do something dangerous and get hurt then not tell her. "I'm gonna go pack!" She jumped up, acting excited. She ran up the stairs, seeming dapper as ever.

She closed the door, leaning against its frame and shutting her eyes tight, sighing. Jade Harley is going to have a rough time in a new place. She probably wouldn't be able to make friends. But she did see a silver lining; she wouldn't have to lie about her feelings anymore. Though, she would probably still continue.

Jade heard a familiar ping from her computer. Someone was pestering her, and by the sound of it, urgently. She waltzed over to her bed where her laptop sat. She perched herself on one leg, pulling the computer to her lap, opening it.

EctoBiologist [EB] started pestering GardenGnostic [GG] at 10:24 am.

EB: hey jade! dad just told me youre coming to stay with us! i'm super excited!  
EB: well, just write me when you can. youre probably busy, i know.

EctoBiologist [EB] ceased pestering GardenGnostic [GG] at 10:37 am.

EctoBiologist [EB] started pestering GardenGnostic [GG] at 3:12 pm.

EB: jade.  
EB: jaddddddeeee.  
EB: write me back.  
EB: jade.  
GG: Hey, John!  
GG: Yeah, I'm coming out tomorrow!  
EB: really? i'm so excited! youre going to meet all my friends.  
GG: All of them?!  
EB: just the really good ones.  
EB: which is like two.  
GG: Ohhh, okay.  
GG: Well, John.. I have to pack.  
GG: stay logged on so I can write you later.  
EB: okay  
EB: i'll let you go then.  
EB: talk to you later, jade  
EB: and see you soon!

EctoBiologist [EB] ceased pestering GardenGnostic [GG] at 3:41 pm.

Jade sighed and got off her bed, leaving her laptop open. She pulled of an old leather-like green suitcase, plopping it on the edge of her bed, careful not to hit her computer. She stuffed most of her close in there, she didn't know how long she'd be staying. She made sure to pack all of her sweaters because John lived in Washington. It'd be hell of a transition; she's used to tropical temperatures. Luckily, it was summer where John was, leaving her time to adjust.

Her jeans and shorts fit perfectly in the top pocket, not making too big of a bulge. She packed her shirts on top on her sleepwear, warm clothing and underwear. Her makeup took a side pocket, where she knew it would be safe. Jade tries to stuff some of her stuffed animals in cracks and crevasses, but nothing would budge. Looks like she'd be leaving most of them at home. She might be able to fit one in her carry on with her laptop and pillow.

She flopped onto her back, resting her feet on the full suitcase. She stared at the ceiling, once again thinking of the worst possible thing. Being alone sucked. She slipped into a light sleep, waking up when her suitcase smacked the floor from her kicking it. The bay window let in the rays of the sun setting, she fumbled to open her laptop to check the time, the white numbers in the corner displaying 7:58 pm.

A ding came from the other side of the bed. She proceeded to pull the laptop infront of her knees again, reading the blue text.

EctoBiologist [EB] started pestering GardenGnostic [GG] at 8:01 pm.

EB: hey jade  
EB: I need girl advice  
GG: Oh, gosh.  
GG: Okay, shoot.  
EB: well, you know those two friends? theyre sort of related.  
EB: and i like one of them  
EB: and she doesnt know and hes kind of protective  
EB: sort of  
EB: i guess  
GG: Well, tell her.  
GG: or ask her on a date.  
GG: Make an excuse, like you want her to come with you to show me around town. But don't like ditch your other friend.  
EB: yeah, okay. That might work  
EB: thank you jade  
EB: see you tomorrow!

EctoBiologist [EB] ceased pestering GardenGnostic [GG] at 8:16 pm.

Jade ran her fingers through her midnight hair that flowed down to her waist. She's been growing it out for 3 years now. When she was 13, she vowed not to cut her hair unless necessary; she wanted it as long as possible. Now, at 16, it was almost to her thighs.

She sighed, "Guess I should go back to sleep and get ready for tomorrow."

Jade opened the door and hollered a simple 'Goodnight' loud enough for her grandfather to hear, the same phrase returned a few seconds later. She closed the door and slipped on some sweats, already wearing her tank top. She had planned to just wear this to the airport for convenience and to be as comfortable as possible. Pulling her hair up into a high ponytail, she sighed once more. She knew this would be no good.

Turning off the light, she set her round-rimmed glassed on the end table to the side of her bed. She then drifted back to sleep, hoping she could stay asleep for more than a couple hours.


	2. The Plane Ride

**Here's the second chapter! I promise I'll figure out a schedule. (: I just really wanted to post. School has been kind crappy so. Thank you all for the follows and favorites! You guys are such sweeties. c: **  
**Cylonblaze - Aha, Thank you so much! Things will get better, I promise. and glorifiedDeath- Thank you, too. (: I will try.  
I promise Dave will show up next chap, guys! Sorry it's moving so slow. : R&R, please! Reviews keep me going and help me write! Well, sorry to keep you. Have fun reading! Have a good day, too. (:** - CJ

* * *

Jade struggled to put her rather large suitcase on the conveyer belt that led to the other side of the metal detector. Not only did she have to get herself situated, but she also needed to deal with her dog, Bec. She set her shoes and glasses next to her suitcase, watching them slowly move into the next station. She stepped through the metal door frame after she put her steel belongings in a bucket that followed her other items (with Bec's collar). She sighed as she walked, not being able to see much without her glasses. She knew it was necessary, it just sucked. The security guard told it was okay to continue, waving her to go pick up her things.

Jade strolled to find her terminal, dragging her suitcase behind her. She pulled her ticket out of the small backpack that hung from her shoulder. Scanning the paper then looking back up at the titles of the flights. She was extremely confused. She'd never even been to an airport before, It's amazing she even got this far. A man walked towards her, almost chuckling in a way.

"'Scuse me, miss. Do you need any help?" He smiled politely, fixing his uniform. He probably worked at the airport as help or something.

"Uh, Yeah." Jade sighed and laughed at herself, "I have no idea where I'm supposed to go, I don't even know what half the stuff on this ticket means." She laughed again.

"Ahh, I see." The man outstretched his hand, "Mind if I take a look?"

"Not at all!" She seemed a lot less worried now.

"Okay, so.. You're going to walk strait for a little bit. You plane is going to be right across from the first restrooms you'll see." He pointed to the general direction she'd be going and scanned the ticket again, "Says here you're flight will be boarding in a little under an hour. So, you can grab a bite if you'd like." He smiled and handed the slip back to her.

"Thank you so much, sir! I really appreciate it!" Jade grabbed the handle of her suitcase, lifting it up, and started walking through the building again. She waved Bec to follow her.

Jade had found where her flight would take off and sat in the lounge around 40 minutes ago. She had quite a bit of time to think, which she didn't want to do. So she did what she could to stop the process. Meaning she listened to music, made small talk with strangers (Like 'where you headed to?' or 'how about this weather, huh?'),goofed around with Bec, went to small shops to maybe get some souvenirs for her cousin and uncle (but, sadly, to no avale.) or buying food and/or coffee to make sure she didn't fall asleep, per usual. She maybe got to thinking once or twice, making her rather gloomy.. She really didn't want to leave. She would have been fine staying there with her Grandpa and Bec.. She only needed them, honestly. Yeah, it'd get lonely sometimes, but her two favorite boys would always fix that quick.

A lady began to speak over the apparent intercom, informing passengers that flight B7(1) would soon be boarding. Jade scanned her ticket once more, come to the realization it was her flight. She stood up and grabbed Bec's leash and her belongings, whistling for him to follow. She reached the man who took the plane tickets. He eyed her and her giant dog.

"Does he have a ticket, too?"(2) He nodded at Bec, a visible glare appearing on his face.

"Oh!", Jade reached in her pocket, "Yep, he sure does!"She smiled brightly.  
The man reached out, taking the ticket. He chuckled audibly and smiled at how bubbly Jade was. He ripped the ticket and gave the stubs back to her, feeding the remains into a slot on the desk.

"Have a nice flight." He said as she strolled away.

Jade had to keep Bec on a leash in the plane, keeping a loose grip and leading him to their seats. Her Grandpa had bought first class tickets, so their seats were rather easy to find. It was a two seater that sat right next to the window. Jade clicked her tongue at Dec, signaling him to sit up in the seat closest to the isle. She tucked her carry on in to the compartment above their seats, pulling out her iPod before so. She sat and unclipped Bec's leash from his collar.

"I won't tell if you won't." She whispered at him and winked. He licked her hand, as if saying thanks. Jade giggled, and for a split second didn't feel sad.

Maybe this won't be a bad trip she though. Maybe John would show her all these fun things and the summer would be the most fun she has ever had. Of course, she'd miss Grandpa and their large piece of land. She'd miss chasing frogs and the warm, humid air greeting her in the mornings. But this could be great. She just had to let it happen.

This was easier said than done, but Jade could do it. She believed in herself. Right now she did, at least. She smiled down at Bec and buckled him in as efficiently as she could, he was a big dog. After she got situated, she put an ear bud in. Only one, thought. She still wanted to hear the instructions the flight attendants would give. A woman had told everyone to stay seated and prepare for ascension

Jade felt sick to her stomach while flying. It took three and a half hours to get to the airport in Washington, she had thrown up twice. Flying was not her thing at all. She'd never been up in the air and neither had Bec, though he seems not to be having any problems at all. She sighed as they touched down and rolled into place. It took about fifteen minutes for the flight attendant wished them a good day and hoped they had a good flight. Polite people all around.

Carry on slung on her shoulder and Bec's leash in hand, Jade searched for the belt that held all the suitcases. She followed people from her flight, but that lead her nowhere. She asked around and eventually found her way, quickly grabbing her things and calling John. She explained that she was there, waiting, and that she'd be standing outside.

It took him thirty minutes to show up, give or take. She had been sitting on the curb, giving Bec loves and treats she had packed. He pulled up and stepped out, pulling her into a giant hug.

"I've missed you **_SOOOO_** much, Jade!" He lifted her up off her feet. He was significantly taller than her now, he had a bigger build as well. She smiled back at him

"I've missed you too, John!" They grinned at each other, the Egbert-Harley buck teeth showing.

"Let's get a move on, what do you say?" He lifted her suitcase, plopping it into the trunk and opened the back door for Bec.

The car ride went fine, the chatted about her plane ride and she explained everything, he said something along the lines of 'ewwww gross' when she told him how sick she had gotten. They laughed and shared stories until they pulled up in John's drive way.

* * *

**(1)- I totally made that flight number up, I don't even know If that's how you would address them. :c I can't remember for the life of me from my experiences in an airport. Sorry!**  
**(2)-Do you even buy plane tickets for super huge dogs? Like, I don't understand. I even tried to do research. I mean.. I didn't look ****_that_**** hard, but.. ugh. Sorry.**


	3. The Aftermath

**I swear, I forgot how to make stories sound good. :c Sorry, guys. This chapter is rushed and messy and stupid. It's 12:30 am and I passed out right when I got home. So I'll be up for a while. Anyway! Thanks for the reviews, guys! I really, really like having input. It helps a ton. (: Please let me know about grammar or spelling errors! Hope the read is decent. Have an awesome day. (:**  
- CJ

* * *

"Wake the fuck up, dude. It's almost noon."

There was an angered muffle of sentences from the bed.

"I can't even hear you."

Dave sighed, frustrated and propped himself up on him forearms.

"I said it's the fucking weekend. I don't even need to be awake today. Jegus."

"Yeah, but your friend called and said you needed to go over there. He wanted to me to relay a message."  
Bro cleared his throat and made the nerdiest voice he could,  
"'_Tell him to wake his ass up because I need his help cleaning the room he messed up yesterday.'_"

"Fuck." Dave smashed his face back into the pillow.

Yesterday was kind of a bad day. Naturally, Dave hung out with his best friend and _maybe_ did a little under aged drinking. I mean, he's a fucking 17 years old, it's not unheard of. So, after sneaking into John's fathers liquor cabinet and scoring some rather choice vodka, well.. You can guess. Dave went bug shit crazy. He switched from room to room, seeing which one he'd rather tear apart.

You have to understand, Dave really liked being crazy sometimes. Usually, he's this super fine, calmed, bad ass dude. But you can't just pull a poker face all the time. In some situations, you have to let out all the anger and other crap. (Like sexual frustration and sadness.)

Given the fact that John had cleaned out one of the spare bedrooms for his cousin that day, Dave found it almost irresistible to wreak havoc on the room. He started with the bathroom that was adjacent to the main room; ripping the bath curtain and taking everything out of the drawers.

John had been against it from the very beginning. However, John knew that when a Strider sets his mind on something, there is absolutely _**no**_ way you'd stop him. So, after a while of trying to plead with him not to, he just leaned against the door jam and said something to the effect of '_You're going to be the one to clean this shit up.'_

Dave sat up strait, looking at the clock. 11:43. _Fucking great. _  
He reached for his phone on the corner of his desk and slid the arrow to unlock it. _4_ _miss calls. 6 new text messages. 2 new voice mails.  
"_It's not even worth calling back at this point.." Dave said to himself, standing up and closing the distance between him and the smuppet-covered dresser across from him. He pulled out his usual outfit; Black jeans, a red and white tee and red high tops.

His phone buzzed as he pulled the shirt over his head.

"Yo."

"Dude, get over here. My cousin is going to be here in like 2 hours."

"Yeah, I know. I'm headed over that right now, bro. No need to get your panties in a twist."

"Jegus, shut up. Get over here quick." _Click._

Dave strolled down the side walk. He was extremely aware of the sun on this very fine summer day. His slight hangover made his senses a tiny bit over reactive. Though, in a way, Dave was glad he could handle a hangover. He drank nearly the whole bottle of 80 proof vodka. That's even a lot for a Strider.

Dave adjusted his shades higher up on his nose, turning the final corner to John's house. It was quite lucky that they were in walking distance of each other. Instead of knocking, Dave just walked straight in the house.

"Hey! Get down here, Egderp!" He hollered from the base of the stairs.

"Don't you call me that, David." A voice returned.

"'Scuse you, dude. I don't know of this _David _you speak of."

John turned the corner and stood at the top of the stairs and glared down at Dave "How the hell do you not have a hangover?"

"These Strider genes, man.. They're magic." Dave shrugged, "So, let's get to cleanin'"

It took the two boys and hour and a half to actually put the room back in decent condition. The mattress was still lopsided on the box spring, the shower curtain was torn at the top, and the linens weren't folded nicely in the closet anymore. But, it was presentable. Dave let out a sigh and fell back on the bed. He kind of regretted drinking so much last night. It must have been a hassle on John.. But it really needed to happen, and Dave knew John was aware of that.

"Alright, I guess this is good enough." John let a puff of exhaustion out.

"I'd say. I actually tried. This room is cleaner than mine will ever be." Dave laughed.

"Oh, man! Do you remember that time we found a dead crow in there?!"

"Yeah, and I didn't have my windows open for like 2 weeks.." Dave shook his head in disapproval.

"Well, I think she'll be here soon, dude. Thanks for the help."

"It's cool. Want me to stay?"

"Naw, I have to go drive to get her. I don't want to overwhelm her right away, you know?" John chuckled, "Honestly, She's not really used to people. Maybe you can meet her later today or tomorrow, okay?"

"'Kay, I'll talk to you later, man." And with that, Dave slipped his phone in his pocket and was out the door.

Dave planted his ear buds in and hit play on the "good tunes" playlist. He stepped onto the sidewalk pavement, being quite aware of brightness of the sun once again. Summers in Washington kind of reminded him of the wild Texas autumns. They were great. The Strider's used to go out to the local lake with the rest of the town and let off fireworks. Of course, that was almost four years ago.

When Rose's mom, Bro's sister, feel to her drinking habits again, she had asked for help from Bro. Like any decent brother, Bro accepted. He had to take care of his little sister. Dave, inevitably, was extremely upset about this. His thirteen year old angst overflowing, causing rather large tantrums.

Instead of going back to his apartment, Dave walked to his cousin's house. Well, they were sort of cousin's. Since Bro and Roxy were never really related, Dave just assumed that's what Rose was.

The pavement was pristine and well kept on Rose's part of town. The houses were either two stories or three. Everything was bad ass there, Dave had to admit. He dialed Rose's number and shoved his other hand in his pocket, keeping his cool persona.

"_Hello?" _A calm, but obviously otherwise occupied voice answered.

"Rose, I'm coming over."

"_I really like how you planned that one, Dave. I'm surprised you didn't just saunter in per usual." _She retorted in a sarcastic manner.

"I'm getting cooler by the millisecond, what can I say?" Dave used the same tone of voice.

"_Well, the door is unlocked. Let yourself in. Please don't be obnoxious." _

"'Kay, bye." Dave shoved his phone back in its home in his pocket.

The walk was short to Rose's house. It was nice, though. Most people would complain about the unbearable heat and the lack of the clouds all of the inhabitants of Washington were so accustomed to. But, Dave could handle himself in this rather comfortable weather. His sliver of a hangover already disappeared.

Walking strait into his cousins' house, Dave sparked a conversation about something stupid and unimportant. Rose never minded, knowing Dave just had to get his mind off of all the painfully upsetting thoughts he had. She engaged, but she always let him know the topics were nothing close to cool.

* * *

**I always feel bad about chapters.. Like I'm letting you down or something. D: I'm sorry, guys. Again, Input is awesome. R&R pretty please! Bye!**


	4. The Day Out

**Hey, guys! Sorry it's been so long. Finally, right? Thank you all for the reviews. My mom has been doing a lot better and everything is working out. I means a lot that you guys care. So, thanks. (: Thanks to all the people who followed and favorited, too! You guys a sweet hearts. Well, sorry for the spelling and grammar mistakes in here. I wrote it all tonight and can't stay up long enough to edit. I hope it's not too bad. Let me know! Anyway, You guys are the best! R&R!**

**-****_CJ_**

* * *

Jade stared at the ceiling in silence, Bec coiled around her feet. She went retired to the guest room after John and her finished Con-Air. He swore he'd show her _all_ the Nicholas Cage movies before her first month was over. It had been just about 5 hours since then and she hadn't gotten any sleep.

She had called her grandfather when she arrived at the Egbert house, excited to hear his voice. He never picked up, ever when she kept trying and called him 6 more times after that.

So much worry, so much frustration. She never wanted to leave, she never wanted to fly by herself, she never wanted to be a grown up and fend for herself. She was still a kid! A sixteen year old kid that wanted fun and silly jokes. Jade was a kid who just wanted her grandfather.

In the midst of over thinking, jade had failed to realize where her feet were taking her. She had already stood up and got a sweatshirt from her still unpacked suitcase and made it to her bedroom door. Bec was still sound asleep at the foot of them bed despite all of her commotion.

Jade went out the garage door, not too sneakily. The walk was nice; it had only been about 3:30 am so the stars were still shining. Her feet took her around the block, returning her to the front door of the Egbert residence. She sat on the porch for a while. She continued to think of all the great times on a remote island with her grandfather and dog.

Yeah, Jade knew it was getting old and maybe a little silly by now, but she was still upset. She was still sad, she was still pissed, she was _still_ homesick. Damn, she was was homesick. She missed all the stairs and her little green room that made her feel like she was on top of the world.

The door opened behind her and shut quietly. Looks like someone noticed she was gone.

"I know it sucks." John said.

"I don't really think you do, John. But thanks."

"I can only guess, actually. All I know is that if I had to leave my Dad, his gross baked goods and this stupid suburb, I'd be lost. It's all I've ever known." John sat next to her, sighing, "So, yeah.. I kind of grasp it. I think you're forgetting you still have me and Dad. And my friends will be your friends soon."

Jade stared at him for a minute then busted up laughing. She was too tired, to be honest. The sleep on the plane wasn't enough to keep her running this long, she felt high.

"Thank you, John. I'm glad you're trying to help." She smiled at him.

"Hey, you know what.. I was talking to some pals at school about a party that's going on tomorrow, how about we go? So you can meet new people, let loose a little." The gangly boy grinned at his slightly younger cousin.

"Sure, why the hell not?" Jade stood up and slid off her shoes, placing them in her hand. "I have to go to bed right now or I might die. Wake me up in the morning, alright?"

The walk to her room was short and uneventful. Bec was still snuggled at the foot of the bed and snoozing. She crawled into bed, falling asleep almost immediately.

"Hey, wake up! We have plans, you sleepy head!"

Jade slowly rolled over without opening her eyes. "What time is it?"

"Almost 1," John laughed, "I let you sleep in."

Jade shot strait up. "I've never slept in this late! Oh gosh!" She fumbled around to get out of the covers and grabbed clothes before darting into the bathroom to change.

"Whoa, really? Are you even a teenager?" John said through the bathroom door.

"What kind of question is that? Of course I'm a teenager, John. I just always had things to do on the island." She explained.

"But sleeping in feels great, man. It felt great, right?" he laughed at his cousin again.

Jade opened the door, "Well, yeah. But still. I can't get all lazy like you." She elbowed him in the side.

She had changed into jean shorts and a loose tank top, now pulling on her brown leather boots. This was her usual outfit during summer. The shorts weren't too short and the tank top had just enough room so her skin could breathe and the wind would circulate through it.

"Aren't you gonna brush your hair? Isn't that a thing girls do?" John tilted his head at the girl sitting on the edge of the bed.

"Do you know how long it takes to brush this? Too long. I'll probably brush it next time I take a shower." She sighed, holding her hair.

"Haha, alright. Let's get a move on. I said I'd show you around. A couple of my friends are gonna help, okay?"

"Ooohh, Like that girl you told me about? The one you have a crush on?" Jade said in a excited, but devious voice.

"Yeah. But don't go getting any ideas! This is strictly business, Jade Harley! Nothing more and nothing less." John _hmphed_ and crossed his arms.

"Whatever you say." The girl stood and flipped her hair over her shoulder.

They walked to the kitchen together and John grabbed the keys off the counter. His dad was already at work and Bec was in the back yard. The car was parked in the driveway. It wasn't the car he had picked her up in; this one was a lot more worn and ragged. It looked like an old Jeep Cherokee, the ones they sold in the early 80's. It had definitely seen better days. The green and white paint and patterns were chipping and the rust on the doors was getting out of control.

"Isn't she a beauty?" John smiled and looked at the car with pride.

"Sure? Are you sure it's safe to drive?" Jade looked at the car skeptically.

"What?! Of course it is, silly! I've been fixing her up since beginning of freshman year! Trust me, it used to look _a lot_ worse." He chuckled.

"Alright, if you say so." She replied and walked to the car, hopping on the bench seat in the back.

"Why are you sitting back there?" John eyed her over his shoulder.

"Well, that girl needs to sit by you, right? I'm just back here for the view." She winked at him.

"You're insane." He sighed under his breath and started the car.

The drive was short to their destination, Jade had no idea where they were going, it only took about 10 minutes. They had wound up in a neighborhood with huge houses and beautiful trees. The streets were well taken care of, too.

John honked the horn twice and about a minutes later, two blonds walked out of the house. One, the girl, wore a black dress with little slip-on's and a headband. The other, the boy, stood at least 2 feet taller than her. He was wearing a plain tee with jeans and some sneakers. His sunglasses reflected the sun into Jade's eyes, making her turn away and wince.

"Dude, you didn't need to honk." The boy called out.

"If I didn't, you'd be taking your sweet time." John retorted.

"You could have just called me, ass."

"Or me, you know I always answer my phone, John." The girl called out.

"I did call you, dude! Three times!" He sighed and relaxed in his seat, "Sorry, Rose. I didn't want to bother you."

"It's not bother at all, I know how Dave never answers." She smiled.

They finally made it to the car, but the plan didn't really work out as expected. Rose ended up sitting in the back with Jade. John turned and laughed at his cousin, as if saying '_I knew it wouldn't work, you should have just sat up here.'_ She rolled her eyes at him.

"Hello, you must be Jade. I'm Rose." She stuck her hand out.

"Yep, that's me. It's nice to finally meet you!" Jade shook it, "I've heard so much about you."

"Good things, I hope." She smiled.

"Wonderful things." Jade smiled back.

"Yo, I'm Dave." The boy in the passenger seat turned to her.

"Jade Harley." She stuck her hand out to shake his.

"Ready to have some fun?" He smirked at her, shaking her hand.

"I think so." Jade nodded and smiled.

They drove around town for a while, then stopped for lunch. Dave lost the rock, paper, scissors match and had to pay. Jade got to pick the place and went with the local coffee joint by the park. Rose sat first and John quickly took the chance to sit next to her. It was kind of endearing how much he liked her. Jade sat down and giggled to herself. _He's so dorky._

Dave sat down next to her, picking up the menu and handing it to her. She mumbled a 'thank you' and flipped it open. It was silent as everyone picked what they wanted, the waiter interrupted it.

"What can I get you guys today?" He smiled at the four of us.

"Oh, hey! I didn't know you worked here, Jake." John looked surprised

"Yeah, I started working here about 2 weeks ago, It's neat isn't it?"

"Sure is, man." He glanced at his menu, "I'll have a burger and a milkshake."

"Alright, and what about you, Rose?" He scribbled the order onto the pad in his hands.

"A spinach salad with vinaigrette on the side and a grape soda, please." She looked up at him.

"Okay, and you, Dave?"

"Just an ice tea, dude."

"Un-sweetened without lemon, right?"

"Yeah."

"And what about you, young lady?" He smiled at Jade.

"I'll have a chocolate shake, sir. Thank you." She smiled back.

"Alright! I'll be back with your orders soon. Sit tight, kids."

Rose grabbed all of our menus and stacked them in the middle of the table. She seemed so polite.

"So, John. Are we going to that party tonight?" Dave rested his chin on his hand.

"I thought we would, it sounds fun. Why, did you have a better idea?"

"No, it kind of sounds lame, though. It's at the beach house, right?"

John nodded.

"I guess it _might_ be fun, then. What do you say, you two?" He turned to Rose and Jade.

"It's not like there's much else to do." Rose responded.

"Sure. I don't have any plans." Jade laughed.

Their food arrived shortly after that and they ate it quickly. Dave paid, reluctantly. They drove around for about 2 more hours, finally stopping at Dave's apartment. They all got out and entered the 50 story building.

"Hey, Bill." Dave waved at the man seated at the front desk.

"'Evening, Dave." He retorted. Jade waved at him with a smile. He couldn't be younger than 60.

They walked onto the elevator as Dave pressed the button to the top floor. It was actually a really nice apartment building. The elevator was large, the tile floor was marble. When they finally reached their stop, there was only one apartment on that floor. Once they got in there, Jade knew they had to make a lot of money to afford something like this.

The kitchen was huge, so was the living room. A 70 inch flat screen with a bookshelf full of DVD cases on either side of it.

"Whoa."

"It's nice, isn't it? Bro is a director." Dave laughed, "Or.. Was. I'm not sure what he does now."

"It's _really_ nice." She scanned the place once more.

"Make yourself at home, there's food in the fridge if you're still hungry, guys. I'm gonna go grab something really fast." He went up a staircase and turned left.

Jade planted herself on the white leather couch and stared at the TV.

"John, do all of your friends have a ton of money?" Jade turned to her cousin.

"Hmm, Maybe? I don't know, I've never really focused on that stuff." He shrugged.

"Geez." She sighed. She looked at the clock on the wall, it's was almost 10 pm. How did it get so late?

Rose was in the kitchen, cutting an apple and humming a song. It was smooth and calm, reminding her of some night on the island when the fireflies were out and the crickets chirped. Jade used to walk out and catch frogs on those nights. They were her favorite. She had closed her eyes and continued to listen.

"You falling asleep on us, Harley?" Her eyes snapped open to see Dave standing in front of her and John nowhere to be found.

"No, just thinking." She sighed and slumped her shoulders.

"Thinking always gets you into trouble, don't you know that? It always ends up sad." He raised an eyebrow at the black haired girl sitting down.

"Yeah, I know what you mean.. Sometimes you just can't stop it though." She glanced up at him behind her glasses.

Dave felt a ping in his chest. He had seen that look in someone's eyes before. He noticed it right away. He saw how sad she was and how alone she felt in the very moment and it had been overwhelming. Dave let himself fall back onto the couch adjacent to the one Jade say on, His arms flopped to his sides and he sighed.

* * *

**Hope you guys liked it. (: Review, please! Thanks for reading, have an awesome day. (Sorry it ended so weird, I had no idea where I should end, sooooo.) **

_**-CJ**_


	5. The Party (Aliens)

**Hello, wonderful people! I am currently writing this at 5:13 am, after a hardcore writing session since 3:30. (: I am so sorry that I haven't been updating, I hope I can change that. Honestly, I can't say I actually have a valid reason for not making chaps, I've just been lazy as hell and haven't been able to muster up the motivation. I know there's probably a lot of errors and I'm sorry! Well, I hope it's good. (: Thanks for everyone who left reviews, favorited and followed! You guys make me so happy! **

_**-CJ**_

* * *

"Hey, guys! Let's get a move on, I don't want to be here anymore." Dave called out from the couch.

"Alright, I guess." John walked to the door, he looked confused.

"Is something wrong, Dave?" Rose asked from the kitchen

"Just want to get my mind off of things is all."

"We did this the other day, though. Seems to be getter worse lately." John answered.

"I'm fine. Can we just go, dude?" He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair.

Jade looked at the distressed teens around her with confusion. She'd ask what they were talking about, but knew that it was none of her business and they wouldn't tell her anyway. Still, she couldn't help but to wonder why Dave seemed so agitated.. or, whatever he was.

"Rose, I'm running music this time, okay?" Dave called to the woman behind him.

"Why?" She acted like she had had this fight before with Dave, like it was redundant.

"Because I'm tired of classical. It's not cool." He sighed and stuffed his hand in his pockets.

"Classical is _cool._" She mocked, "It's also an arguable amount better than some of the music you partake in."

"Whatever. I already called it, you have no jurisdiction." He stopped in front of the huge iron elevator.

They all waited without much talking, Jade had whispered to John that he should probably tie his shoe. The elevator came up in no time; they all shuffled into the block and had a decent space between them. It seemed like a pretty well-off apartment building. Red tiled hallways, fancy pictures and potted plants on every corner. It even had a security guard at the front.

It was a long wait before they got to ground level, Jade wasn't sure what floor they had even been on. She sighed and leaned on the metal bar that went around the elevator, fighting the want to just sit on the ground; she needs to try to get these people to like her, not think she's a kid.

* * *

Jade had been there no less than thirty minutes. Everything already fell apart. Apparently, Rose had said something to Dave, causing him to leave in a fuss. John had escaped during their bickering to '_find us some drinks_'. Jade had slinked to the couch in the middle of this living room that was strangely decorated as the crowd bustled around her.

She pulled one knee up so she could rest her chin and pulled out her cell phone. She had been hoping _maybe_ her grandfather had called her back or something, but he hadn't.

Jade didn't really expect the night to end up like this. She also didn't expect her cousin to be such a butt and just bail like that, leaving her alone with the bickering.. whatever they were. She sighed and closed her eyes, hoping maybe that could help.

"How did you end up all alone?" Dave plopped down next to her on the couch.

"They made a run for it when they could." She let out a chuckle.

"Well, that was a bad idea. What if one of these poor shmucks hit on you? You'd eat them alive." He sighed, "And then use the car as a getaway and we'd be stuck here."

"You're right. They really didn't think that out, did they?" She smiled.

Dave feigned a scared girl's voice, "_Oh, grandma! What big teeth you have!_" he gasped and 'fainted'

Jade laughed a little harder, she liked cheesy and simple jokes. They were the best. John came cutting through the crowd with two drinks in his hands, holding them up high so they wouldn't spill. '_At least he's true to his word' _she thought.

"Yo, man. You left your cousin in the gutter. What's all this about?" Dave smirked at John.

"She can fend for herself, she's a strong girl" John stuck his tongue out and handed the red plastic cup to Jade.

"Well, actually, I guess I'm the big bad wolf." She took a sip, "According to Dave, that is."

"Whoa, Dave. Are you trying to say my cousin's ugly?!" John acted pissed, "You know, being attractive runs in the family! How dare you!" He laughed a little and drank his drink.

"You sure about that? Maybe it's only on her half of the family tree, dude." Dave leaned back into the couch.

They continued to bicker back and forth with no intention to actually do harm. Jade was slightly confused on how to take what Dave had said. Should she take it as a compliment? I mean, he _did _say that she was attractive, in some turnabout way. Or maybe she should just leave it as is; he made it a joke and maybe it was used for _yanking-his-leg_ material.

She was almost done with her fruity drink, probably punch, and was starting to feel like she could fight a polar bear. Why this is, she had no idea.

"John, will you get me more?" Jade called out to him.

"You sure?" he scanned her.

"Well, it tastes good." She had no idea why he would question her, "Why wouldn't I be sure?"

"Uh, because it's jungle juice, duh. This stuff can mess you up."

"Jungle juice?" she cocked her head.

"Oh man. It gets you drunk off your ass, Jade." Dave decided to explain.

"But?" Jade hadn't _actually _done the whole drinking shenanigans before; she never has _actually_ been to a party. "Oh, man. What if I can't hold my liquor?!" She became panicked and looked to the two boys for answers.

"I mean, I could vomit! Or pass out! Or even get in a fist fight! Or run off with some stranger and get killed! Oh no, oh no. What if I wound up in ano-"

"Jade, it's okay. We'll protect you." John grabbed her shoulders.

"Yeah, sure thing, Harley. And, you haven't even drank enough to get drunk. If you want to, you can. You're totally safe." Dave agreed, keeping his _cool_ persona.

* * *

"So, there I was: surrounded by wolves, nothing but a towel on and covered in ketchup.." The girl swung her arms around wildly, "And that's when Karcles came to save me, with his luscious locks and great smelling man-perfume." She laughed and planted a kiss on the boy next to her.

"That's not at all what happened." He sighed, "You were being a fucking idiot and running around in the woods after swimming in the lake." He shook his head.

"Nuh-uh! You were my knight in shining armor!"

"I'm fucking flattered, Terezi, but you ran into _ONE_ dog. And it was a god damned chiwawa, not a '_pack of wolves_'" He smiled at her.

"Yeah, yeah. Anyway! So, he saves me and leads me back to camp because I forgot my cane and we've been dating ever since!" She smiled, showing her teeth.

Jade was absolutely fascinated with this wonderful story of love and was dumfounded, still, that Terezi was blind. She acted like she could see fine! Despite the red-tinted sunglasses on her face. Jade's new found obsession with love stories could, possibly, MAYBE, be because she was pretty close to being wasted. She had three or four cups of that fantastic beverage and she might head for her fifth.

Somewhere in the bustle of the party, Jade had met a few interesting people. Travos, who was kind of shy for her tastes, helped her sit back down after she danced for god knows how long. She was struggling to get past a broken door that was laid just about shin level. Her exact thought was '_What? How did this get here? How am I going to get by? I'll just keep walking into it full force until I get to the couches._' And damn, will she have bruises.(1)

She also met Vriska, who seemed a little.. over bearing. She requested John to do body shots on some stranger (who seemed indifferent about the whole situation, as long as she got her cigarettes) until he could hardly speak. This was hilarious, to be honest. He ran out the screen door, striping and ended up in the lake.

She lost Dave a while ago, in between helping make some food for the clown guy and running down the hallway, trying to reenact the classic 'Risky Business'. (2) And now, she was on a mission to find him. She would push through the giggle fits and the slurred words in order to find that blonde haired sarcasm factory and remove his glasses. Jade was convinced he was hiding something behind them, and she'd be damned if they weren't aliens.

She stopped around the house, one sock on and tank top strap hanging off her shoulder. Finally, she found him on the porch, bumming a smoke off of the body shot girl. She was speaking gibberish, but Jade didn't really care.

"Cool kid Strider!" She stuck her chin in the air and planted her fists on her hips, "I demand to see those aliens of yours!"

Or, that's how it sounded in her head. It really sounded like a mash up of "take your glasses off" and "it's dark out, no sun's going to affect you right now.". Or coarse, even those were extremely slurred.

"Whoa, Harley. Seems like you have had enough to drink." He steadied her, cigarette held between his lips.

"Nope, nope." She settled in the chair, "I'm jusssst peachy."

"Sure you are, Jade." He moved a chair to face her and said 'thanks' to the girl.

"Whoooooohoo." Jade pointed at the girl, "You like her, doncha?" She grinned.

"You're more drunk than I though." He sighed.

"Oooo! Dave's got a crush!" She wiggled around in her seat.

"Jade, stop." He looked at her, "We should be getting home. Let's go round up the others."

"Wait! Take your glasses off!" She squinted at him like she was mad.

"What? Why?" He backed up a little.

"You think you can hide em, doncha?! Well, you're wrong, pal!"

"Jade, what the literal fuck?"

"You can't hide those aliens forever!" She glared at him.

At the very moment in time, Dave Strider, king of cool and all things ironic, lost his shit. He was laughing so hard that is _physically_ hurt. He nearly fell out of his chair and it really didn't help that Jade continued to yell profanities at him. This girl was a mother fucking riot.

Dave told her to follow him and they both found the other two of their group. John was making his "moves" on a group of girls. Moves meaning he was doing crappy parlor tricks and telling shitty jokes. They found Rose in a room, making out with a knock-out hottie. Dave gave her a high five, Jade hardly noticed (she was still giving Dave flack about his glasses) and John was upset. John had just begun to actually like Rose. He was quiet the whole time.

Dave drove all of them back to the apartment, somehow managing to get them all in the elevator and into bed. John slammed himself into the loveseat in their living room, claiming he would die from depression. By the time Dave had wasted his time of trying to get him up and in a bed, Rose snuck up into the guest bedroom, claiming the bed for her own.

Jade was still glaring at him, trying to scare the 'truth' right out of him. She obviously believed this nonsense whole-heartedly.

"I guess you can sleep up in my bed, then." He sighed and signaled her to follow him.

"Hmph."

"Whatever, Harley." He swung the door to his room open. "If you need to change, there's stuff in that laundry basket on the floor."

Dave swiped up a pillow was out of there. No time for her to criticize him about the evil aliens that lived in his eye sockets. '_She should never be drunk again.'_ Was all he could think.

They all fell asleep fast, unknowing to the hangovers or troubles they had to deal with tomorrow.

* * *

(1): This actually happened to one of my close friends when she was plastered. Sadly, I wasn't there to witness it, but I still laughed pretty  
hard.  
(2):This is a great movie! You guys should watch it if you haven't. It has Tom Cruise! The scene is where he's jammin' out and sliding down the hall in his underwear, a button up shirt, socks, and some super rad sunglasses. B)

R&R, pretty please! You guys are my favorite, thank you for reading!


End file.
